Page 27 - TPIS2022

Lecture title:

Different methods of porous media characterization, from NMR to
Micro-CT Scan: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT:

There are various methods for porous media characterization such as mercury intrusion
porosimetry (MIP), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and micro-X-ray computed
tomography (μCT) imaging. In this presentation, the use of different porous media
characterization techniques for the determination of porosity and permeability of
carbonate rock samples will be evaluated.
Among different techniques investigated, the μCT imaging was found to be capable of
providing pore and throat size distribution, open and closed porosity, the coordination
number of pores and surface and volume characteristics of the porous medium, which
were difficult to be obtained through other techniques.

The Kolmogorov–Smirnov distribution analysis was employed to assess pore size
distribution obtained from different techniques. The results indicated that while the
resulting pore size distribution from MIP is rather a rough estimation of the throat
size distribution obtained from μCT (5 μm/voxel), the NMR predictions could provide
a rather good approximation of the pore size distribution obtained from μCT (5 μm/
voxel). The NMR prediction was nonetheless dependent on the value selected for the
surface relaxivity coefficient.

The results elucidate the place, limitations and value of these techniques in the evaluation
of porous skeleton of various porous materials from rock to bone, teeth, implants and
building materials, as the principles pertinent to (and the findings obtained from) the
analyses would hold true for other porous materials as well.

5 International TPCF Preclinical Imaging Symposium (2022) 27
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